Photo of
April 22, 2016
The Harajuku chefs with Kaori in the centre.
The Harajuku chefs with Kaori in the centre.

A big slap on the back is due to Edinburgh’s Harajuku Kitchen as the Bruntsfield restaurant has just been awarded an AA Rosette for Culinary Excellence.

Named after the hip district where Tokyo’s young guns like to display their eye-catching fashion sense, Harajuku Kitchen is run by Chef Patron Kaori Simpson.

Born in Hong Kong, Kaori comes from three generations of chefs and learned to cook in her mother’s restaurants. Her great grandfather established one of the most famous fine dining restaurants in Japan.

Private chef to Japanese consul

Kaori moved to the UK to gain experience in the European repertoire and did a stage at Tom Kitchin’s Michelin-starred Leith restaurant. She was later appointed private chef to the Consulate General of Japan in Edinburgh.

Harajuku Kitchen grew from Kaori’s street food stalls in Edinburgh’s Farmers’ markets. She opened the Japanese bistro on Gillespie Place in 2013.

Kaori has said ‘We are so delighted to receive this fantastic accolade from the AA. I’m so proud of my team for all the hard work and dedication they have put in to make it happen. We have just started to open now for lunchtime during the week – so they are working doubly hard and really deserve this superb accreditation.’

Authentic Japanese cuisine

Harajuku Kitchen specialises in authentic Japanese cuisine, from classics like beef tataki and chicken karaage, to more unusual delicacies such as salmon nanban – fried salmon dipped in soy and vinegar glaze, sake, chilli, onion and carrots.

They also offer a range of noodle and Japanese curry dishes and a wide variety of freshly made sushi, sashimi and maki.

If you want to try Kaori’s cooking then you can book Harajuku Kitchen through 5pm Dining. Today, there is an offer of two courses from the lunch menu for £12.95.

Kaori has given use her recipe for beef tataki.

Harajuku Kitchen’s Beef Tataki for Two

‘This is a very quick, easy and delicious Japanese dish which is favourite with our customers,’ says Kaori.

Ingredients

Rib-eye steak  200 grams

For the sauce

Soy sauce 2 tbls

Yuzu citrus juice 4 tbls

Konbu dashi stock 6tbsp

Japanese rice vinegar 2 tblsp

Zest of yuzu citrus

Lettuce

Method

Sear the beef on a hot pan

Slice the beef carpaccio style

Place the carpaccio on a bed of lettuce

Mix all the other ingredients together.

Pour over the sauce and garnish with lime and lemon

Beef tataki from Harajuku Kitchen.
Beef tataki from Harajuku Kitchen.